Waste reduction and recycling processes have existed for many years. Typically, waste reduction systems include incineration, composting systems (e.g., indoor landfill composting, windrow composting), food waste elimination systems, landfills, gasification systems, algae systems, shredders, and dewatering systems.
Problems with conventional waste reduction systems include waste transportation issues, energy required, such as fuel consumed by heavy equipment for operations, toxic gases produced, long timeframes, leachate problems, toxicological effects on land and water, footprint sizes, and emissions. One problem with some existing waste reduction systems is that the time frames required (e.g., longer than one hour) create additional pollutants. Existing anaerobic processes produce methane and hydrogen sulfide gases, which are much more toxic to the environment than CO2. Further, most conventional waste reduction systems cannot process plastic or rubber. In addition, existing systems typically produce only one product, compost. Production of multiple products, such as biofuel, compost, and energy, would be desirable.
While existing waste reduction devices are suitable for the particular purposes that they address, they are not suitable for the purpose of helping clean up the planet by reducing landfills and landfill pollution and pollutants, which are the main contributors to greenhouse gases and global warming.